Sectional track.



1. Russo.

SECTIONAL TRACK.

APPLICATION FILED AUG-6| I917- Patented Oct. 2,1917.

2 SHEETS-SHEET l J. RUSSO.

SECTIONAL TRACK.

APPLICATION FILED AUG-6. 1911.

Patented Oct. 2, 1917.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

I Umtenm GEE-163131.

' 1 B6113kIIOWHtHQZt'I,'JbHNRRUSSO; a subject of theKirlg of 'Itmly, residingrzvt Fitehbu rg, in the" county ofWorcester' :m'dState of Massaichusetts; have inventerlienew 'amd *useful Sectional Track; of which the following is aspecificaxti'on. l

This invemiomrehtesto'a sectional track possessing many features: of novelty and #10111ti1ity2- Theconstruction is morep'articnlairly aidelpted fon temporary use amd light loads elthongh notlim'ited thereto It is the general" object of my invention to provitle e'seetionaltrnck construction; in

"which new sections czm be laictmechwnically and Without resort to manual 1 labor to ad- Vance or opera ti've lyposition the same."

With this general object in View, importan-1; features of my-' invention relate 1 to means formechan'ica'llyadvancing new secfti'ons' overithesectionsalready laid; to devices'ior'iIWeTting amid-bringing each new section into operative position; to driving mechanism 011 ea'ch= section adapted to assume driving relation with the mechanism ofthe'prior sections as it moves intoopei'ative position to devices-forholdingthe sections in' operative relation tojeach other; and to other devices; arrangements and combinations 1 Ofparts-WHich will be hereinafter descrilded and more p*artic111arl'ypointed out in the appended claims:

A preferred fornrofnny invention is shown inthe drawings in Which Figured is-zv-frortt' elevation'of several sections of my improved track; Fig. 2 isfill dtttfled side elevation" of a portion of the" driving and supporting mechanism, looking in the direction of the arrow QfinF-igbl;

' isaplan View ,of two successive "sections;

4Zis a detailed sectional elevation taken aloiigthe line of "Fig. 3", and 5 is" a'jdetit'iled" elevation of the urts Which en' age thfe convej er chains;-lookin'g'in the directionfofth'earrow 5 in Fig: 1; Re'fefrifigtoFig; 1, I hav e shown two section's operatifi efi position'ect and 1a third sec "'50 'tion'in:invertediiosition for Movement me the previously positioned sections: The three sections may be conveniently dsi nated A B and C Each section', as"A, 1s provided With a frame 10 preferably formed Specification of Letters latie'r ntl i 191,7. Appli a mion filea linguist 6, 1917. Serial No. 184,621.

clined members 10 and 10"" are of slightly une'qua l lengths'. This prodncesw narrowing of thta rear portion of each section; and permits thesections to" adapt themselves somewhat more *readily to" nne'ven ground. .1 After-a new sectiomis-in operativeposition, suitable blockingmwy 'be placed underf one or more of the cross-pieces; 111 to preserve the a lintement ofthe section.

A p'aii' of conveyerchains 13- (Figs 3)! extend longitudinally of each section 1 which may be of anydesired lngthw At their l'eanends the chains 13firc snpported 'wnd driven by sprockets 14" mounted on short sha fts 15 extending'tlirongh bearings in the end fiamem'em'bers 10"?" The shafts15are provided at their outer ends with additional sprockets 16 di'iven 1 by transmission chains 18 to be described; In the caseof the 'first seetioIPA', the'trsrnsrfnissibn cHainsflSW'may bedrivewfrom a suithble-motor M or 'from nny otHer"con'venient source of power.

At the right hand end of each section the chains 18 pass"over"sprockets19 fixed on shortsltfiftls-QG having'bearings in the encl 30 frame member 10 2* Said" shafts are p'rovilkfl at their outer ends with gem-s21,

meshing with geai s 221mg. 1)rnountcd"on arms 23 pivoted to swing'about the axis of the shafts 20. Springs 24 move the-=wrms 23" yi'eldiiingly pward; 1 ,E'ach end frame membe 10' is 'rov'icled with "a h'eavy hook-shaped member 25 for f a purpose to be described. There is also'providel a weighted engagingmen'iber o r 'link 26 (Fig. 1) pivota ilymoitnted in a slotfin an upper corner of the frame 10. I

Ifitermediatechains 30 (Figs; 3' midi) are providedat'the rear end ofeacNsectiOn except thefi-rst, these chains being support ed aildj driv'en" by additional sp'rocket's' 3 1 on the shortshafts 15;fln'c1 by guide pulleys or sprockets 32' mounted atthe end of arms 33 fixe'tl in 1-051itwvardly-extcanding position on theframe members lOf. As thesnccssi'Ve sections-ere operatively"positioned the intermediate chains 30 will bridfie 'overthe gaps or ofie'nings between" the successive chair'fs 13, thus' providinqa' continu'oils'"conveye'r the whole length of the ttach! I will now describe thedi'ii ingjconne'ctions between the snc'cess i'i e'chains13. Each chain 18, previously described; is driven by a" sprocket 35' ni ounted' on" afst'ud 36 (Figs. 1 and 2')" i an PM rem r" f moved'; downward to operative position.

The arms 42, are provided with rolls 42 1oose on the studs-41 and-upon which the new track section is supported as it is moved along the preceding sections. 1 7

When. the new section is to be advanced along the section previously laid,- the arms 42 are swung to the position shown in section C, of Fig. 1, in which position they are retained by swinging latches43 which engage the studs .41. Hoolcshaped links 44 are also pivoted to the frame 10 in the corners adjacent the latches 43, said hooks-being adapted to engage the weighted links 26 above mentioned as each new section reaches the end of the section last laid. 1

The parts are moved along the previously laid track by a brace member 50, which may be hinged to a cross-piece 11 or to any other convenient point on the frame 10. The brace is somewhat narrower thanthe distance between the conveyer chains 13 and isprovided with laterally projecting arms 51 adapted to engage spurs or lugs 13 and 30 on the chains 13 and -re p t y5 y tion.

which means the brace 50 is eifectiveto advance the inverted track section to which it is attached.- 7

The arms 51 are arranged tofold inward sodas to permit them to pass downward between the chains 13 as the track section completes its movementto operative posi- For this purpose the arms 51 are pivoted at 52 to the brace 50, and thetinner ends of the arms '51 are connected by links 53 to a rod 54 having a loop at its upper end through which a locking ,pin 55 normally extends. A cord 56 is secured at one end to the pin- 55 and at the other end to the cross-piece 11, insuch position that the cord willbe vtensioned asthe brace 50 swings to inoperative position, thus withdrawing the pin 55 and permitting the'arms 51 to move tov inoperative position, under the influence of springs 57. ,Guides 60 are provided on the inner side of the frame members to retain the advancing frame section in correct lateral position upon the track previously laid;

scribe the. operation. Assuming that sections A and B have been previously laid,

andthat theconveyer chains 13 of section A are driven from a suitable motor M,

'these chains will drive the conveyer chains 31, thus providingfor'the movement of the brace 50 from one conveyer chain-13 to the next succeeding chain 13. A the sect1onC is advanced by its brace :50, it rolls along upon its roll 42 with its rearportion .positioned laterally by theguides 60; I I As the section C approaches the end of the section B, its rolls 42. lpass down along the inclined forward end 10 of the section B, and at the same'time the. latches 43 are released by engagement with studs 43 on the frame of section .B,(Fi-g. 3). Such movement also causes the hooks 44 on-section C to engage the weighted links 26,0n the section B, thus connecting the upper edges of the sections together.i The' studs 41 which support the rolls 42 thesprockets 39 and the spurgears 40 are then-engaged by the hooks 25, thus bringing the spur gears 40 into positionfor,engagementby the swingingspur gears 22, which latter gears are forced downwardly against the tension of the springs24 to; the position shown in Fig. 1, and provide driving; connection between the two sections. The arms 33 fixed to the frame of the section C are moved therewith to the position shown .in Fig. 4, with ;the intermediate chains 30; bridgingover the spaces between the successive conveyer chains 13, As the section C is turned over, the brace 50 swings down between the chains 13,and eventually Q0- ucupies the position indicated in dotted lines in the section B. y i r 7 My invention permitsalight or temporary track to'be laid with great ease and rapidity, it being. merely necessary to place additional sections upon some portions of;

the track already laid, .and to, swing the brace 50 thereof into a position in which its arms51 engage the lugs 13. on theconveyer chains .13. The new section willbe automatically advancedto the endof the track previously laid, and will then be turned over into operative position, .without further attention. In this way the trackv may be laid with great rapidity; and witha very small amount of manual labor, such .labor being},

used merely to place, new sections in position for movement (along the track previously laid.. a i r Having thus described my invention, it

will be evident that changes and modifications can be made therein by those skilled in the art without departing from the spirit and scope thereof as set forth in the claims, and I do not wish to be otherwise limited to the details herein disclosed, but what I claim is 1. A track comprising successive sections, each of said sections having driving mechanism mounted therein effective to move additional sections thereover.

2. A sectional track construction comprising a plurality of sections movable separately to operative position, driving mechanism therein, and means for automatically establishing driving relation between successive sections as each new section reaches operative position.

3. A sectional track construction comprising a plurality of successive sections forming a track, means to support a new section thereon, means to advance said section along said track, and means to operatively position said new section at the end of the section last laid.

4. A track comp-rising successive sections, each of said sections being provided with driving mechanism effective to move additional new sections thereover, and the mechanism of each new section automatically assuming driving relationship with the mechanism of the last preceeding section as each new section is moved into operative position.

5. A track comprising successive sections, each section having 'conveyer chains disposed lengthwise thereof, driving connections between the conveyor chains of adjacent sections, and means to drive the entire series of conveyer chains.

6. A track comprising successive sections, means to move each new section in inverted position along the preceding sections, and means to reverse said new section into operative position at the end of the section last laid.

7 A track comprising successive sections, means to support a new section in inverted position on the preceding sections, a conveyer to move said new section along the track, and connections from said conveyor to said new section, adapted to reverse the section into operative position when it reaches the end of the section last laid.

S. In a sectional track construction, a plurality of sections, means to support a new section in inverted position on the sections previously laid, conveying chains, and means on said inverted section engaging said chains whereby said section may be advanced.

9. A track comprising successive sections, means to support a new section in inverted position on the preceding sections, a conveyor to move said new section along the track, link members mounted in pairs at adjacent ends of successive sections, and effective to engage when an inverted section reaches the end of the section last laid, said members thereafter forming connections to pivots in said last laid section about which said new section is reversed, and means to reverse said new section to operative position.

10. In a sectional trackconstruction, a plurality of sections, means to support a new section in inverted position on the sections previously laid, conveying chains, and means on said inverted section engaging said chains whereby said section may be advanced, said means including a brace pivoted to said new section and having laterally projecting chain-engaging arms at its free end, means to hold said arms in ope 'ative position, and means to release said arms as said new section is turned to operative position.

11. A sectional track construction comprising a plurality of sections movable separately to operative position, driving mechanism thereon, and provision for automatically establishing driving relation between successive sections as each new section reaches operative position, said provision including cooperating gears mounted on arms pivoted to the successive sections, and means to force said gears yieldingly into driving relation.

12. A sectional track construction comprising successive sections, each pair of adjacent sections having cooperating link members at their adjacent ends, effective to engage as each new section approaches operative position, and to thereafter form intel-mediate tread sections between successive fixed my signature JOHN RUSSO.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents,

Washington, I). G. i 

